Google has done it again. What’s that you say? Launch another update. This time, the update is for its AdWords program. So here’s the update: if you currently run a pay per click advertising campaign through Google AdWords, you now have the ability to bid for clicks AND phone calls.

If you would like to activate bid-per-call for your pay per click advertising campaign, you need to select the choice to use a Google forwarding number once you set up call extensions. By using a Google forwarding number, Google will display a unique phone number in your ad and the phone number will be displayed whether a consumer is seeing your ad through a computer or tablet. When a prospective customer manually dials the Google forwarding number, Google will then route the call to your designated business line. With this new feature, you will see detailed call information in your reports including the number of calls you received, call length, and the inbound area code to name a few.

Key Points:

Bid-per-call doesn’t apply to ads shown on smartphones.

You can raise your ad position and increase phone calls to your company by setting a bid that is equal to or greater than the $1 minimum call fee (Google).

You can always adjust your bid-per-call, depending on your business goals.

ReachLocal is a Google AdWords™ Premier SMB Partner, so we have the expertise to run your pay per click advertising campaign successfully. Check out the video below from Google’s Premier SMB Partner page.

What do you think of Google’s latest feature, bid-per-call? Will you be enabling this in your Google AdWords account? Why or why not?

About Alan Moore: Alan is an Internet Marketing Consultant with ReachLocal Baltimore. His mission is to help you increase your revenues and decrease unproductive advertising expenses through proven, online marketing strategies. He manages over $1.4 million in yearly marketing budgets and has worked with local businesses, agencies and the US government. Give him a call at (877)655-3438 to schedule a free consultation.